Many artists use photographs for source material. Many years ago, we worked on an idea to use a computer monitor to display photos for the artist, eliminating the inevitable transposition of a paper print. Finally, the technology has reached a point where it’s feasible and workable.

We used a Samsung Q6F television, and simply prepped the image with our layout and positioning in Photoshop. We loaded the image using a USB drive. Though color profiling the display, and driving it through a computer would result in a higher fidelity image, the on-screen adjustments seem to work fine, and allow the artist to adjust the display to taste.

The image appears entirely life-like, giving the artist the ability to paint as if the subject was sitting in the room.

So the makerspace is getting some momentum going! We got a $5000 grant from the HUD Community Development Block Grant program (Federal) and we got the $56K grant that I mentioned we'd put together from MassDevelopment for their Collaborative Workspace program. While it's awesome and all to get the funding, it means the hoops we have to jump through are that much higher.

We're working with a building owner right smack in the downtown district of the city (Lynn, MA), and it seems like they are pretty engaged in the project, and what we can bring to their building. The timeline is tight - we need a signed lease to finish the paperwork on the MassDEV grant by January, and that will allow us to move in and activate our $30k of equipment currently sitting in a garage in storage.

I'm at the "be careful what you wish for" stage... Hoping to get past the administration portion of this launch, and actually start doing stuff! Or, as the Dr. said as he handed my wife our son after 26 hours of labor, "Now for the hard part!"